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Reyes, Encarnacion cleared to play

Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes talks about his rough experience this year, why he is optimistic for the upcoming season and more

By Gregor Chisholm
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MLB.com |

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Jose Reyes and Edwin Encarnacion have both been cleared to play in this weekend's upcoming two-game series vs the Mets in Montreal.

Reyes has been out of action since he suffered a mild strain in his left hamstring during Saturday's game against Detroit. He has been listed as day to day, but the club announced Thursday afternoon that he will be available in Toronto's final two games of the spring.

The original line of thinking was that Reyes would get the start at designated hitter upon his return. That no longer appears to be the case, and the Blue Jays expect to have him in the lineup at shortstop on Friday night.

Encarnacion was struck by a pitch on his right forearm during Wednesday's game against the Yankees. He was immediately removed, but has since received a clean bill of health. Encarnacion would have been available to play Thursday vs. Philadelphia, but the club opted to give him a day of rest.

The positive updates are a breath of fresh air for an organization that was decimated by injuries last spring. The Blue Jays appear on track to start the season with their 25-man roster intact, which wasn't the case a year ago when Brett Lawrie started the year on the disabled list.

Left-hander J.A. Happ is the only Blue Jays player who is currently not ready to start the season. He has been placed on the disabled list with a sore lower back, but he had also been outpitched this spring and no longer had a spot in the starting rotation.